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A man's waist size seems to be a stronger indicator of diabetes risk
than the body-mass index, new research suggests
Scientists at Johns Hopkins reviewed data from over 27,000 men
over 13 years and put them into five groups according to their waist
size; 884 of the men had diabetes.
Compared to those in the group with the smallest waists, 29-34
inches, men with larger waist sizes were at least twice as likely to
have diabetes. Those with the largest waist size -- 40 inches and
above -- were up to 12 times more likely to have Type 2 diabetes,
the kind associated with obesity.
When the men were divided into groups based on their body-mass
index -- a formula based on weight and height -- or waist-hip ratio,
the level of risk wasn't as pronounced.
The study's lead author, Youfa Wang, an assistant professor with
the Center for Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health, said waist size can indicate a strong risk for
diabetes whether or not a man's BMI indicates he's overweight or
obese.
"It's a better predictor for the risk of Type 2 diabetes," Wang
said. "When we look at the association it's much stronger."
Wang also said the findings show the commonly used 40-inch waist
circumference benchmark for diabetes risk should be lowered. Exactly
how much has not been determined. "That's something we don't feel
very comfortable about giving a concrete recommendation," Wang said.
Other studies have suggested about 37 1/2 inches, he said.
Researchers believe fat cells in that area may affect the liver
differently, or there are signaling molecules in that type of fat
cell that may affect diabetes.
The findings are in the March issue of the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition. |